Fed's Barkin speaking on a virtual roundtable of the Ohio Valley

Feds Barkin
  • Expects strong spring and summer
  • US in high unemployment and low inflation. We are in the easy box which says stimulate the economy with stimulating policy.
  • Sees long term disinflationary forces
  • We dont see a movement higher in inflation expectations
  • The unemployment rate does not take those people who have left the workforce.
  • We do see the level of retirements increasing.
  • Support payments are also keeping people from entering the workforce
  • We will start tapering asset purchases when see progress toward our financial goals
  • It is my expectations that we would lower asset purchases before moving rates.
  • I think rates can have a real impact on inflation.
  • This crisis has disproportionally impacted the last people in the workforce, and it also went after the next job for those people
  • Risk that we have a workforce that does not match the needs for employment
  • Fed is going to change policy on outcomes of results vs expectations or timing of changes
  • Fear really hits the economy. If have vaccines that keep people out of hospitals and off ventilators, that is better for the economy.
  • If people think of crypto as an asset class, that is ok with him.
  • I don't think there is a magic moment when the pandemic disappears
  • Think we can get to a point where the economy is near full operation by the fall
  • I try to look at yields in context of policy guidelines
  • If yield curve spike, we are losing control of policy guidelines